The orangutan is the only great ape found outside Africa but the species native to Sumatra is critically endangered. Illegal palm oil plantations are slowly eating into the orangutans' habitat and pushing them into the hands of poachers.

One way to tackle deforestation by palm oil agribusiness is to monitor and report illegal activities but in large areas such as the Leuser Ecosystem in Sumatra, that has proven virtually impossible - until now. A unique collaboration of conservation NGOs have now begun surveying illegal clearing of protected forests with the help of drones. Capturing high-resolution aerial footage of the devastating impact of palm oil is proving powerful and has already helped bringing perpetrators to justice.

Join Nidhi Dutt in Indonesia to see how an alliance of conservationists is taking the protection of the orangutan to new heights.

About 'earthrise'

'earthrise' is an award-winning series exploring solutions to the environmental challenges we face today.

The programme takes an upbeat look at ecological, scientific, technological and design projects all around the world, from a group of Dutch architects who design stunning buildings made from waste materials, to an ingenious project that has dramatically cut rhino poaching on a South African game reserve.